Traveling cylinder printer with platen movement responsive document clamping means

ABSTRACT

Document holding apparatus for use with an imprinting device having two document guides disposed on the print bed and two openings in the print bed under the document guides. Operative through the two openings are two document holding means which are lowered when the imprinting head is in its rest position. Actuator means are responsive to the imprinting head when it is in its rest position to lower the document holding means to thereby permit insertion of the document into the document guides. In response to the imprinting head being moved from its rest position, the actuator means raises the document holding means so that it presses the document against the document guides and stretches it therebetween to hold the document in position as the printing operation is effected.

United States Patent Strohschneider 15] 3,654,862 [451 Apr. 11, 1972 [73] Assignee:

Heinz F. Strohschneider, Alexandria, Va.

Farrington Business Machines Corpora- 3,056,347 10/1962 Dashen ...101/408X Frampton ..101/408 X 3,283,711 11/1966 Lew ..101/269 2,913,981 11/1959 Hermann.... ..101/269 2,651,991 9/1953 Meckler 1 01/408 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-E. M. Coven Attorney-Gerald J. Ferguson, Jr.

[5 7] ABSTRACT Document holding apparatus for use with an imprinting device having two document guides disposed on the print bed and two openings in the print bed under the document guides. Operative through the two openings are two document holding means which are lowered when the imprinting head is in its rest position. Actuator means are responsive to the imprinting head when it is in its rest position to lower the document holding means to thereby permit insertion of the document into the document guides. 1n response to the imprinting head being moved from its rest position, the actuator means raises the document holding means so that it presses the document against the document guides and stretches it therebetween to hold the document in position as the printing operation is effected.

8 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 1 1 um i sum u 0F 5 INVENTOR PATENTEDAPR 1 1 m2 SHEET 5 OF 5 INVENTOR TRAVELING CYLINDER PRINTER WITH PLATEN MOVEMENT RESPONSIVE DOCUMENT CLAMPING MEANS BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION This invention relates to document holding apparatus for use with an imprinting device and, in particular, to such apparatus which in addition to holding the document in place stretches it during an imprinting operation.

l-leretofore, various document holding devices have been taught for use with imprinters. Although these devices have generally been effective to holding the document in place during an imprinting operation, quite often the document tends to be wrinkled while being held in position. Thus, the characters imprinted upon such a document can be seriously distorted whenever the imprinting occurs at a wrinkled portion of the document. Such distortion is particularly troublesome when the quality of the imprinted characters must be such as to render them suitable for subsequent reading by an automatic reading machine, which is the case in many of todays imprinting applications.

Further, even if the imprinted characters are not to be of automatic reading machine quality, nevertheless, if their distortion is such that even human readability thereof is not possible, of course, the imprinting operation is rendered practically worthless. Hence, in view of the foregoing considerations, it is desirable that the document be stretched or held taut in addition to being held in place during an imprinting operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus, it is a primary object of this invention to provide improved document holding apparatus for use with imprinting devices wherein the document is both held in place and stretched during an imprinting operation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such apparatus wherein the document holding apparatus is inoperative when the imprinting head is at its rest position to thereby permit insertion of a document over the imprinter print bed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such apparatus wherein after the imprinting head is moved from its rest position, the document holding apparatus is effective to hold and stretch the document in place during the imprinting operation. 1

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reading the appended claims in conjunction with the following detailed description and the attached drawmg.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front elevation of an illustrative embodiment of the invention having a partial cross section taken along the line l1 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view corresponding to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1 having a portion of the bottom plate thereof broken away.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 6 and 8 are isometric diagrams illustrating one aspect of the operation of the invention.

FIGS. 7 and 9 are isometric diagrams illustrating a further aspect of the operation of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown an imprinting head 10 containing a roller platen assembly (not shown) which moves in track 12 by means of wheels 14 and 16, there being a similar track 13 on the opposite side of the imprinter as shown in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 3 where the imprinting head 10 is not shown, there is illustrated a print bed generally indicated at 18 including anvils 20 and 22 upon which are positioned printing plates or cards 24 and 26 where the printing plates may be credit cards or the like. The card 24 is held in place by stops 28 and 30 while card 26 is held in place by stops 32 and 34. Indicated in phantom lines is a document 36 which may be an invoice or the like. The document 36 is positioned under a pair of document guides 38 and 40, the document extending from an opening 42 in the front side of the imprinter. Thus, the illustrated imprinter is a side-loading type such as described and illustrated in 0.8. Pat. No. 3,486,447 granted to Alan F. Stocker on Dec. 30, 1969 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. However, it is to be understood that the invoice holding aspect of this invention may be used with other types of imprinters other than the side-loading type illustrated in the drawing. The cards 24 and 26 are also held in place by conventional clips 44 and 46. Disposed in the print bed 18 and under the document guides 38 and 40 are openings 48 and 50 respectively. Through the openings 48 and 50 operate the invoice holding means (not shown in FIG. I) as will be described in more detail hereinafter.

Referring to FIG. 4 there is shown the imprinter head 10 having vertical side legs 52 and 54 respectively. Attached to the inner walls of these legs are the wheels 14 and 15. Connected to the outer wall of leg 54 is an actuator 56 which engages a finger 58 whenever the head 10 is moved to its rest position at the left end of the stroke. Finger 58 is connected to a shaft 60 which is joumaled for rotation in the side walls 62 and 64 of the imprinter chassis at 66 and 68 respectively. Also fixedly connected to shaft 60 is a shift lever 70 as can best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4. Shift lever 70 has provided therein a first slot 72 and a second slot 74 where the slots are perpendicular to one another and slot 72 is deeper than slot 74. A shift lock bar 76, having integrally disposed in the sides thereof pins 78 and 80, is disposed within slot 72 of shift lever 70, pins 78 and being disposed in slot 74. Hence, a sliding pin connection is provided between shift lever 70 and shift lock bar 76 via pins 78 and 80 and slots 72 and 74. Thus, rotation of finger 58 transmits translational motion to shift lock bar 76 via shaft 60 and shift lever 70. Shift lock bar 76 is disposed for movement within a groove 82 (see FIG. 4) disposed in the inside of the upper wall of a housing 84, which is fixedly connected to the underside of print bed 18. The shift lock bar 76 moves in a plane parallel to the imprinter base and is angularly notched at 86 and 88 (see FIGS. 1, 6 and 8). The notches 86 and 88 respectively engage a pair of cam slides 90 and 92 which vertically slide in slots 94 and 96, only slot 94 being shown, see FIG. 1. The slides 90 and 92 are grooved in the vertical sides thereof, the grooved portions engaging the vertical sides of slots 94 and 96 to permit the vertical movement of the slides 90 and 92 respectively, as indicated in FIG. 1. The cam slides 90 and 92 include rotating members 98 and 100 respectively rotatably mounted on the first sides thereof, it being the rotating members 98 and 100 which respectively engage and ride along angular notches 86 and 88 to support bar 76 and to effect the vertical movement of slides 90 and 92. Thus, any horizontal translational motion of shift lock bar 76 is converted into vertical translational motion of the cam slides 90 and 92 since the rotating members 98 and 100 will ride up or down along notches 86 and 88 thereby imparting vertical movement to slides 90 and 92. Rotating members 98 and 100 include caps for maintaining engagement of members 98 and 100 with notches 86 and 88, see FIGS. 1 and 5 for cap 99.

The cam slides 92 and 94 also include horizontally disposed slots 102 and 104. Disposed within slots 102 and 104 are pins 106 and 108 which are respectively connected to invoice holders 110 and 112 having respectively disposed at the top thereof invoice catchers 114 and 116, which are preferably made of rubber and which engage the invoice to hold it in place during an imprinting operation or the like, as will be explained in more detail hereinafter. Invoice holders 110 and 112 are mounted for rotational movement with respect to the imprinter chassis at shafts 118 and 120 respectively, shaft 1 18 being shown in more detail in FIG. 5 where it is journaled for rotation in plate 120 which is fixedly connected to the print bed 18 at 122. Also connected to invoice holders 110 and 112 are posts 124 and 126. Connected to posts 124 and 126 are springs 128 and 130 which are connected at the respective other ends thereof indirectly to the imprinter chassis and, in particular, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the connection of the other end of spring 128 is made to the lower portion of plate 120.

Reference should be made to FIGS. 6 and 8 for a description of the operation of the invention in terms of the mechanical arrangement described hereinbefore. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the document holding apparatus is shown in a position corresponding to that which it would have when the imprinting head 10 is moved completely to the left in FIG. 1--that is, when the head is in its rest position. In this position the shift lever 70 has rotated to the left whereby it is substantially vertically oriented due to the pressure of actuator 56 against the right side of finger 58 as viewed from the left in FIG. 4. With the shift lock bar 76 so positioned in its leftmost position, the rotating member 98 of cam slide 90 engages the lower portion of notch 86 to force the cam slide to its lowermost vertical position. With cam slide 90 so positioned invoice holder 110 is rotated clockwise thereby extending spring 128. Thus, invoice catcher 114 is in its lowered position. A corresponding action takes place at invoice holder 112 where cam slide 92 is also in its lowermost vertical position because of the action of angular notch 88 on rotating member 100. However, holder 112 is rotated counterclockwise to lower catcher 116. Also indicated at FIG. 6 in phantom lines are document 36 and invoice guides 38 and 40.

Reference should now be made to FIG. 7 which also shows in cross section the document 36, document guides 38 and 40, print bed 18. In the lowered position, the catchers 114 and 116 are lowered into openings 48 and 50 (see FIG. 3) respectively whereby the document 36 may be positioned under the guides 38 and over the print bed 18, having disposed thereon cards and 22. As is well known cards 20 and 22 typically include thereon embossed matter to be imprinted on document 36 in a manner well known to those of ordinary skill in this art.

Reference should now be made to FIG. 9 which illustrates what happens when the imprinting head is moved from its rest position in order to effect an imprinting operation. The catchers 114 and 116 respectively rotate away from one another under the influence of springs 128 and 130 to stretch the document 36 outwardly and to clamp it under guides 38 and 40 before the imprinting operation is effected. This outward rotation of the catchers 114 and 116 occurs in the following manner. Referring to FIG. 4, the forward movement of the head 10 removes the actuator 56 from contact with finger 58 thereby permitting it to rotate forwardly under the influence of springs 128 and 130 which also rotate shift lever 70 forwardly on shaft 60 as indicated in FIG. 8. The forward rotation of shift lever 70 is directly caused by the movement of pin 80 of shift lock bar 76 in the direction of the arrow, the movement of bar 76 in turn being caused by the rotating member 98 of cam slide 90 which is forced to roll up the angular notch 86 of lock bar 76 under the influence of spring 128. The movement of cam slide 90 to its uppermost vertical position is directly caused by the rotation of holder 110 via pin 106, the rotation of holder 110 resulting from the tension in spring 128 which constantly biases it in the counterclockwise direction. Holder 110 rotates in the counterclockwise direction under the influence of spring 128 until the upper edge of invoice 36 is stretched to the point of developing sufiicient interference to form a stop. A corresponding action takes place at holder 112 with the obvious difference that the document 36 is stretched in the opposite direction by catcher 116 to develop the desired interference. It is this interference which acts as the holding pressure which prevents movement of the invoice document during the imprinting operation.

Numerous modifications of the invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing disclosure. During such a reading it will be evident that this invention provides document holding apparatus for accomplishing the objects and advantages herein stated.

What is claimed is: 1. Document holding apparatus for use with an imprinting device comprising a chassis, a print bed, a movable imprinting head including a roller platen for effecting imprinting from a printing plate disposed on said print bed onto a document disposed over said printing plate, said document holding apparatus comprising:

first movable document holding means disposed at one side of the area of the print bed over which said document is disposed, said first document holding means when actuated tending to pull said document away from said area in a first direction;

second document holding means disposed at the side op posite said one side of said area, said second document holding means when actuated tending to pull said document away from said area in a direction substantially opposite from said one direction so that the combined action of said first and second document holding means when actuated is to stretch said document across said area; and

actuating means responsive to the movement of said imprinting head toward said print bed for actuating said first and second document holding means so that said document is stretched across said area during an imprinting operation.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 where said actuating means includes means for releasing said first and' second document holding means from said document in response to said imprinting head being moved to its rest position.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 including at least two document guide means disposed on said print bed at said one and said opposite sides respectively and at least one opening in said print bed disposed over said two document holding means, said two document holding means being operative through said opening to stretch said document between and against said first and second document guides.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3 where said first and second document holding means are rotatably mounted with respect to said print bed in a plane perpendicular thereto, said first document holding means being biased for rotation in a counterclockwise direction and said second document holding means being biased for rotation in a clockwise direction;

said actuating means for said first and second document holding means rotating said first and second document holding means clockwise and counterclockwise respec tively in response to said imprinting head being moved to its rest position to thereby permit positioning of said document within said document guides prior to an imprinting operation; and

said first and second document holding means being respectively rotated counterclockwise and clockwise in response to said imprinting head being moved toward said area to thereby stretch said document between said document guides and hold said document in position during said imprinting operation.

5. Document holding apparatus for use with an imprinting device comprising a chassis, a print bed, a movable imprinting head including a roller platen for effecting imprinting from a printing plate disposed on said print bed onto a document disposed over said printing plate, said document holding apparatus comprising:

actuating means disposed at said imprinting head and movable therewith; at least two document holder means mounted for rotation with respect to said print bed in a plane perpendicular thereto; first spring means connected between the first of said two document holder means and said imprinter chassis for biasing said first document holder means in a counterclockwise direction;

second spring means connected between the second of said two document holder means for said imprinter chassis for biasing said second document holder means in a clockwise direction;

said print bed including at least one opening respectively disposed over said two document holder means;

at least two document guide means disposed on said print bed and respectively over said two openings;

means responsive to said actuating means for rotating said first document holder means clockwise and said second document holder means counterclockwise in response to said imprinting head being in its rest position against the respective biasing actions of said first and second spring means to thereby permit the positioning of said document within said two document guide means prior to an imprinting operation; and

said first and second document holder means being respectively rotated counterclockwise and clockwise under the influence of said first and second spring means respectively in response to said imprinting head and said actuating means being moved from said rest position to thereby stretch apart the upper edges of said document respectively between said first and second document holder means and said two document guide means to thereby hold said document in position during said imprinting operation.

6, Apparatus as in claim 5 where said first and second document holder means includes first and second document catchers respectively disposed at the upper portions thereof for engaging said respective upper edges of said document.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6 where said document catchers are made of rubber.

8. Document holding apparatus for use with an imprinting device comprising a chassis, a print bed, a movable imprinting head including a roller platen for effecting imprinting from a printing plate disposed on said print bed onto a document disposed over said printing plate, said document holding apparatus comprising:

actuating means disposed at said imprinting head and movable therewith;

lock bar means movably disposed beneath said printing bed having at least two cam surfaces disposed along the length thereof;

means responsive to said actuating means for moving said lock bar means to a first position in response to said imprinting head being in its rest position and for moving said lock bar means from said first position to a second position in response to said imprinting head being moved from its rest position;

at least two cam slide means mounted for vertical movement with respect to and underneath said print bed, said two cam slide means being respectively operatively engaged by said two cam surfaces of said shift lock bar means, each said cam slide being placed in its lowermost vertical position in response to said lock bar means being in its first position and being placed in its uppermost vertical position in response to said lock bar means being moved to its second position;

at least two document holder means respectively operatively connected to said two cam slide means, each said document holder means being mounted for rotation with respect to said print bed in a plane perpendicular thereto;

first spring means connected between the first of said two document holder means and said imprinter chassis for biasing said first document holder means in a counterclockwise direction;

second spring means connected between the second of said two document holder means and said imprinter chassis for biasing said second document holder means in a clockwise direction;

said print bed including at least two openings respectively disposed over said two document holder means; at least two document guide means disposed on said pr|nt bed and respectively over said two openings, each said document guide means having an upper wall;

the first document holder means being rotated clockwise and the second document holder means being rotated counterclockwise in response to their respective associated cam slide means being placed in their said lowermost vertical positions against the respective biasing actions of said first and second spring means to thereby permit the positioning of said document beneath said two document guide means; and

said first and second document holder means being respectively rotated counterclockwise and clockwise under the influence of said first and second spring means respectively in response to said imprinting head being moved from said rest position to thereby stretch apart the upper edges of said document respectively between said first and second document holder means and said respective upper walls of said two document guide means to thereby hold said document in position during an imprinting operation. 

1. Document holding apparatus for use with an imprinting device comprising a chassis, a print bed, a movable imprinting head including a roller platen for effecting imprinting from a printing plate disposed on said print bed onto a document disposed over said printing plate, said document holding apparatus comprising: first movable document holding means disposed at one side of the area of the print bed over which said document is disposed, said first document holding means when actuated tending to pull said document away from said area in a first direction; second document holding means disposed at the side opposite said one side of said area, said second document holding means when actuated tending to pull said document away from said area in a direction substantially opposite from said one direction so that the combined action of said first and second document holding means when actuated is to stretch said document across said area; and actuating means responsive to the movement of said imprinting head toward said print bed for actuating said first and second document holding means so that said document is stretched across said area during an imprinting operation.
 2. Apparatus as in claim 1 where said actuating means includes means for releasing said first and second document holding means from said document in response to said imprinting head being moved to its rest position.
 3. Apparatus as in claim 2 including at least two document guide means disposed on said print bed at said one and said opposite sides respectively and at least one opening in said print bed disposed over said two document holding means, said two document holding means being operative through said opening to stretch said document between and against said first and second document guides.
 4. Apparatus as in claim 3 where said first and second document holding means are rotatably mounted with respect to said print bed in a plane perpendicular thereto, said first document holding means being biased for rotation in a countercloCkwise direction and said second document holding means being biased for rotation in a clockwise direction; said actuating means for said first and second document holding means rotating said first and second document holding means clockwise and counterclockwise respectively in response to said imprinting head being moved to its rest position to thereby permit positioning of said document within said document guides prior to an imprinting operation; and said first and second document holding means being respectively rotated counterclockwise and clockwise in response to said imprinting head being moved toward said area to thereby stretch said document between said document guides and hold said document in position during said imprinting operation.
 5. Document holding apparatus for use with an imprinting device comprising a chassis, a print bed, a movable imprinting head including a roller platen for effecting imprinting from a printing plate disposed on said print bed onto a document disposed over said printing plate, said document holding apparatus comprising: actuating means disposed at said imprinting head and movable therewith; at least two document holder means mounted for rotation with respect to said print bed in a plane perpendicular thereto; first spring means connected between the first of said two document holder means and said imprinter chassis for biasing said first document holder means in a counterclockwise direction; second spring means connected between the second of said two document holder means for said imprinter chassis for biasing said second document holder means in a clockwise direction; said print bed including at least one opening respectively disposed over said two document holder means; at least two document guide means disposed on said print bed and respectively over said two openings; means responsive to said actuating means for rotating said first document holder means clockwise and said second document holder means counterclockwise in response to said imprinting head being in its rest position against the respective biasing actions of said first and second spring means to thereby permit the positioning of said document within said two document guide means prior to an imprinting operation; and said first and second document holder means being respectively rotated counterclockwise and clockwise under the influence of said first and second spring means respectively in response to said imprinting head and said actuating means being moved from said rest position to thereby stretch apart the upper edges of said document respectively between said first and second document holder means and said two document guide means to thereby hold said document in position during said imprinting operation.
 6. Apparatus as in claim 5 where said first and second document holder means includes first and second document catchers respectively disposed at the upper portions thereof for engaging said respective upper edges of said document.
 7. Apparatus as in claim 6 where said document catchers are made of rubber.
 8. Document holding apparatus for use with an imprinting device comprising a chassis, a print bed, a movable imprinting head including a roller platen for effecting imprinting from a printing plate disposed on said print bed onto a document disposed over said printing plate, said document holding apparatus comprising: actuating means disposed at said imprinting head and movable therewith; lock bar means movably disposed beneath said printing bed having at least two cam surfaces disposed along the length thereof; means responsive to said actuating means for moving said lock bar means to a first position in response to said imprinting head being in its rest position and for moving said lock bar means from said first position to a second position in response to said imprinting head being moved from its rest position; at least two cam slide means mounted for vertical movement with resPect to and underneath said print bed, said two cam slide means being respectively operatively engaged by said two cam surfaces of said shift lock bar means, each said cam slide being placed in its lowermost vertical position in response to said lock bar means being in its first position and being placed in its uppermost vertical position in response to said lock bar means being moved to its second position; at least two document holder means respectively operatively connected to said two cam slide means, each said document holder means being mounted for rotation with respect to said print bed in a plane perpendicular thereto; first spring means connected between the first of said two document holder means and said imprinter chassis for biasing said first document holder means in a counterclockwise direction; second spring means connected between the second of said two document holder means and said imprinter chassis for biasing said second document holder means in a clockwise direction; said print bed including at least two openings respectively disposed over said two document holder means; at least two document guide means disposed on said print bed and respectively over said two openings, each said document guide means having an upper wall; the first document holder means being rotated clockwise and the second document holder means being rotated counterclockwise in response to their respective associated cam slide means being placed in their said lowermost vertical positions against the respective biasing actions of said first and second spring means to thereby permit the positioning of said document beneath said two document guide means; and said first and second document holder means being respectively rotated counterclockwise and clockwise under the influence of said first and second spring means respectively in response to said imprinting head being moved from said rest position to thereby stretch apart the upper edges of said document respectively between said first and second document holder means and said respective upper walls of said two document guide means to thereby hold said document in position during an imprinting operation. 